ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

July 31st 2008

Top Five Green Cars Celebrities Will Be Driving Tomorrow

Filed under: cars-houses, green and famous, transport — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 12:47 pm

The best thing about the future of green in Hollywood is that it’s already firmly rooted in its present. There are more efficient vehicles in the driveways of the rich and famous than ever before. Chances are, celebrities are going to roll with the same innovations in the auto industry that all of us will also embrace. They’ll just get to do it sooner — and, naturally, for a price.

The following list is a gamble of speculation as to what green the rich and famous will be driving from as little as one year to three from today. The next decade of automotive options and efficiency is going to be really exciting. Here’s what will lead the way.

The 2010 Toyota Prius

What We Know: Details on Toyota’s next-generation holy grail of the hybrid world are finally starting to leak — but we won’t the big picture until the official unveiling in January 2009. According to sources, three different versions will be developed, including a rumored plug-in. The vehicle will be lighter and more powerful, but also tack on the extra MPGs. The biggest news so far is that a.) the vehicle will be manufactured in the US and b.) the roof will feature (either standard or optional) an embedded solar panel (similar to what Samuel Jackson has in his Maybach). According to Wikipedia, this solar panel option will be capable of outputting an impressive 250 watts of power — good enough for air conditioning, and every other electronic gizmo you need charging.

Outlook: Every Tom, Dick, and Mary of the celebrity world will probably have one of these in their garage(s) — if not just to run errands with. If Toyota plays their cards right like they did with initially getting these vehicles into Hollywood’s hands, expect the love affair to continue.

What Might Win Instead: Every automaker is gunning to knock the Prius off of its pedestal with new hybrids. Expect Honda to become the most serious next-generation challenger.

The 2010 Electric Mini Cooper

What We Know: The hype surrounding a green version of BMW’s much loved Mini Cooper first gained traction after singer James Blunt was seen cruising around in one — courtesy of a partnership between Hybrid Technologies and NASA. These custom conversion kits were eventually made available for the general public to the tune of about $60K. Today, Growing Pains star Alan Thicke is a spokesperson for the technology.

BMW has been keeping an eye on this technology and has decided to produce 500 (or more) electric Mini Coopers for Summer 2009 in the US. The initial market appears to be California (and probably NY), but we’ll know more sometime around the Los Angeles Auto Show with regards to range, battery type, and cost.

Outlook: Availability will be tough at first, but that may make this one of the hotter cars to own in Hollywood. Still, the Mini doesn’t flash its green credentials like other cars, so those looking to impress the public with their choice in transportation might seek something a little more obvious.

What Might Win Instead: In its class, the recently announced electric Smart ForTwo might have a shot — but if this takes off, expect the marketing power of BMW to keep any challengers at bay.

The 2009 Honda FCX Clarity

What We Know: Even though both BMW and Chevy have hydrogen fuel-cell models on roads today, Honda is the only one that has delivered the technology to the general public — so even B-list celebrities can join in the fun.  Granted, you probably have to know the right people to grab a lease — and $600/month isn’t within most budgets — but in terms of cutting-edge, this is where it’s at. Celebrities such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Christoper Guest, and Laura Harris are already behind the wheel.

Outlook: A new study released by the National Research Council predicts that by 2020, automakers will only be able to sell about two million electric vehicles powered by fuel cells. That’s only 1% of the market. About $55 billion in subsidies will be needed from the US government over the next decade and a half to get the ball rolling. That said, we think this will remain a niche market — but with a good portion of Hollywood having access to both the price range and the hydrogen fueling stations, we should see more of these vehicles hitting the red carpet.

What Might Win Instead: Since BWM’s Hydrogen 7 is already being tested by some celebrities as daily rides, it could become a serious contender to the Clarity. However, only if the cars ever come out of private testing. Right now, the Clarity has the rest of the market beat on its (limited) public availability.

The All-Electric Tesla Roadster

What We Know: Easily one of the more hyped next-generation green vehicles, the Tesla Roadster has already solidified its status as a popular choice for the rich and famous. Everyone from George Clooney to Matt Damon and Brad Pitt have thrown down cash to pick up the $100K all-electric sports car. While production has been slow to ramp up following the initial announcement back in March, it now appears that many celebs waiting in line will start to see their cars sometime in Q4 of this year.

Outlook: Tesla’s success in this field has drawn the attention of automakers around the world and inspired competition — most notably the all-electric $237,000 Lightning GT unveiled at the British International Auto Show. Expect this be the car that rich, green celebrities will use to usher themselves to the red carpet. Once more of these start appearing in the driveways of Hollywood, the buzz should bring even more buyers on board for the second-generation Tesla Roadster.

The good news is that all that investment at the top will allow Tesla to expand into markets more affordable to the rest of us. Or, at least those of us with room to plunk down $60K for a car. The company recently announced development of an all-electric Model S Sedan available sometime in 2010/2011. Just enough time for Hayden Panettiere to dump her Porsche Cayenne in favor of something a bit more green.

What Might Win Instead: The market for wickedly expensive green cars is growing — with what’s on the table currently making the Tesla look like a steal in terms of price. The Lightning GT is definitely rumored to have a celebrity following already — and while not electric, a hybrid-Lotus is also rumored to be coming.

The 2011 Chevy Volt

What We Know: Since it was announced, the Chevy Volt has gone from something of a curiosity to General Motors great giant hope for the future. In the war of technology and efficiency, this is GM’s big gun. The Volt will take advangtage of a small gasoline engine (called a “range extender”) to help charge the electric vehicle’s batteries on the fly. With this extender, current estimates for range are about 360 miles. On electricity alone, the vehicle should go about 40 miles — which is enough distance to cover the daily commutes of 75% of Americans. Charge time is reportedly just over 6 hours. Price is still up in the air, but current estimates range from $30K (borderline affordable) to $48K (I’ll stick with my Civic).

Outlook: Should Chevy actually succeed in getting this car to the market around 2010, expect it to be a serious contender to the Toyota Prius — especially if government tax incentives are bumped for green vehicles. While the concept’s looks are edgy, most are inclined to believe that the final design will be something a bit more appealing. (Indeed, GM Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz said the current Volt design would probably do better in a wind tunnel ass first!) If they can retain a bit of the edge, look for singles in Hollywood to stray from the family-friendly Prius to the Volt.

What Might Win Instead: Tesla’s Model S Sedan might be competitive — especially if the Volt’s price is higher than expected. However, the addition of a “fail safe” on the Volt in the form of the range extender engine might make people feel safer about adopting a car they can actually fill with a small amount of gas to limp to the nearest charging station.